Fight the Future
by lateBloomer04
Summary: Months after Claire's life returns to normal, she receives a cryptic message in the mail from someone named Adam. Will his stunning revelation concerning her ability change her life for good? AU


Disclaimer: Heroes belongs to NBC and Tim Kring, not me. Kudos to him for inventing such a fabulous, inventive, and action-packed show! I swear, those cliffhangers about do me in.

A/N: I'm so excited about the two hour season premiere of Heroes next Monday! All of the promos look fantastic and I'm eager to see where the show goes with all of these villains. Yes the fic's title is a reference to The X-Files, but it was also mentioned several times in the dialogue of season one. I'm convinced that Tim Kring was a fan of the X-Files, or that he at least watched the show on a regular basis, especially the more I learn about the first secret group of heroes that was comprised of Peter, Parkman, and Hiro's parents.

I really think the phrase 'fight the future' fits Adam's character and what he's all about, for better or for worse. I took liberties and had Adam escape from his underground prison somehow, just so you know. I'm almost positive that will happen anyway. Also, Claire and West are still together.

I hope you enjoy the oneshot! It's Alternate Universe, but takes place right before Season 3 if you had to place it on the Heroes timeline.

333

_Fight the Future_

333

"Claire, honey, some mail came for you today." Sandra Bennet's voice called from the kitchen, reaching her daughter's ears on the second floor.

"Be there in a sec!"

Claire Bennet shut Dr. Suresh's novel on evolution that she'd been reading, and sat up on her bed, lost in thought. Every time she thumbed through the book, she couldn't help but recall all that her family had been through recently. Months after the attack on her father by the Company, the family had relocated from Costa Verde to a small town near L.A. Claire had the chance to live a normal life again, but at the expense of her father's sacrifice. Noah Bennet had agreed to return to work for the Company, even though he was very much against company policy. Abducting people with potentially dangerous powers to install a tracking device in their neck was not something he thought was right, but that was his job. That policy had almost threatened the happiness of his daughter.

It turned out that Noah had abducted Claire's boyfriend, West, when he was only eleven. West was terrified when he recognized Claire's father as the man with the horn-rimmed glasses, the man that put him through hell. He was afraid Noah would turn him back over to the company for safe keeping, all because Claire knew he could fly. West had been convinced that his new girlfriend was spying on him for her father, when in reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. The misunderstanding had almost cost Claire and West their relationship, but after a few fights, some tears, and some deathly scares, everything worked out. Claire had been worried that having a long distance relationship with West would create problems for them but they barely even noticed how far apart they lived, thanks to West's flying abilities. The couple was still as in love as ever, and Claire always looked forward to the afternoons and evenings that they spent together.

Speaking of West, she wondered if the mail that had arrived could possibly have been from him. It would be just like him to surprise her with another love letter that affirmed his faith in her and in their relationship. That happy thought sent her flying down the stairs and into the kitchen where she met her mother.

"Who's the letter from?" Claire's mom asked as her daughter ripped open the white envelope labeled with her name. Mr. Muggles licked the cheerleader's calves but Claire barely paid attention to the little ball of fur.

"Oh, it looks like another one of West's letters." Claire rolled her eyes at the romantic gesture but secretly she cherished every word of every letter her boyfriend had ever written for her.

"I'll just read it up in my room." Claire bounded back upstairs and shut herself back in her bedroom. She made sure to lock the door in case her pesky brother Lyle decided to barge in, as he was known to do. But when Claire unfolded the letter, she found that it wasn't a love note from West at all. The letter just contained a typed message that read:

_Meet me today in the abandoned warehouse on Exeter Street at 4 PM. I have urgent information about your ability. Come alone. _

–_Adam_

She just stared at the message for a moment. Should she dare go meet with the sender? What if it was someone trying to capture her, extract secret information from her, or threaten her family? Or what if it was not one of those horrible things at all? What if this Adam was trying to help keep her and her family safe? What if he had information for her that was vital to the survival of her family? She thought of the people she cared about most. There were her adoptive parents and brother, along with the Petrellis and of course, West. All of them save for Peter could be killed easily by any enemy, but she couldn't. Claire would brave a possibly dangerous situation such as this if it would help keep her loved ones safe. That made her mind up; she was going to meet Adam.

333

_Rueland Warehouse, Exeter Street at 4 PM_

"Hello-ello-ello!" Claire's voice echoed throughout the dark, dilapidated warehouse. Drops of water trickled down from the ceiling, and the place reeked of mildew and must. The place had been vacated for years, making this a perfect spot for a clandestine meeting. "Is anyone there?" She was starting to grow nervous, as this place was beginning to give her the creeps. There were a million places to hide among the storage crates if someone wanted to grab her. Why hadn't she bothered to bring a weapon?!

"Claire?" The cheerleader jumped as a smooth male voice called her name from the shadows. British accent or no, Claire was instantly on her guard.

"Yes?" She squeaked. "Are you Adam?"

"I am," he replied, coming forward into the dim light so that she could see him. "I'm sorry I startled you." He offered his hand and she shook it. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"What's this about, Adam?" Claire asked, not bothering to dispense with the pleasantries. "How did you find out about my ability? Is my family in any danger?"

"Woah, slow down. One at a time," he chuckled. "Shall we sit?" He gestured to a couple of crates he'd arranged for them in the middle of the concrete floor. Claire sat and waited expectantly for Adam to explain himself.

"Well?"

"First off, you aren't in any danger," Adam began. "At least not any more than usual, with your father working for the Company and all." She gasped.

"You know about that?" He nodded.

"I used to be a prisoner in one other company's facilities. That's how I was able to have access to information about you, your father, and many others for that matter."

"They held you prisoner?" Claire asked, horrified. "But why?" Adam shrugged.

"They thought I was dangerous."

"And are you?" Adam dodged the question.

"My body has spontaneous regenerative powers, Claire, just as yours does."

"I don't understand," said Claire, her heart hammering in her chest. "That shouldn't be enough to hold you prisoner… unless there is a negative aspect of our healing power that I'm not aware of. Is there?"

"I'm afraid so," sighed Adam. "You see, each time our cells regenerate, our healing ability grows stronger. If you test fate one too many times, as I have, you'll end up paying the price."

"Which is?" Claire whispered.

"Eternal youth," Adam said grimly. The blonde just stared at him in shock.

"What?" She cried. "But that's… that's impossible!"

"It sounded impossible to me as well at first," he sighed. "Yet here I am, four hundred years later, healthy as ever and just as young as I was at twenty."

"Why should I believe you?" Claire growled, secretly terrified that she might suffer the same fate as Adam; an eternity of loneliness.

"I knew your friend Hiro Nakamura from my early days in feudal Japan," Adam began. "My original name was Takezo Kensei. I was known throughout Japan at that time as a great Samurai. But that wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for your friend from the future. Hiro was the one who helped me realize my potential and fulfill my destiny as a hero."

"This is unbelievable," Claire muttered. "I'd heard that Hiro had disappeared for a month, but…"

"I assure you, he was there in Japan with me four hundred years in the past. I know all about his power that allows him to travel through time and space. It's rather extraordinary!" She heard the amazement in Adam's voice, but also detected a hint of jealousy. She wondered what the story was there.

"Alright, let's just say for the sake of argument that I believe you," said Claire, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Why are you telling me this? It could be too late for me. I might already be immortal."

"I'm warning you of this side effect because you need to know," he said calmly. "I wish someone could have told me, long ago. But I didn't have the luxury of a warning." Adam winced, as if recalling a very painful memory. "Do you have a boyfriend, Claire?"

"Yes," she admitted.

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do," she replied with much warmth. "But West already knows about my power. He even has a different power of his own. What does any of this have to do with him?"

"You must warn him of what might happen to you in the future," Adam insisted, his face tightening in pain. "I wish I could've warned my wife. When she could no longer deny that I wasn't aging, she left me. She thought I had been cursed." Adam shook his head. "She was right."

"I'm sorry," Claire said quietly. "I can't even imagine how that made you feel."

"I haven't felt much of anything other that pain since that day," Adam confessed. "I'm afraid that after practically four centuries of loneliness, I've developed a rather cynical outlook on life."

"And yet you cared enough to warn me," Claire pointed out. "So you can't be all bad."

"Ah, Claire, you haven't any idea what I'm capable of, what I plan to do," he whispered. "But I couldn't just stand by and let this power ruin your life the way it has ruined mine. Go to Dr. Suresh, Claire. In time, he should design a cure for your ability so it won't interfere with your life - or your death."

"But my blood has the ability to heal," Claire argued. "I could save so many others' lives with it! And besides, for the time being, I kind of like feeling invincible."

"You aren't totally invincible," Adam cautioned. "There's no coming back if someone blows your head off. But regardless, you must choose. Are you willing to give up a normal life to keep your amazing ability?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "All I know is that I feel I was given this power for a reason, to help others. I don't want to take the easy way out and surrender my power if I don't have to."

"I used to think like you, once." Adam gave her a bitter, twisted smile. "Our power is a remarkable gift, don't get me wrong. And believe me when I say that it will be a godsend in the months to come." The immortal man's cryptic statement was not lost on Claire, who wondered what it could mean. Was he trying to warn her about something else? "But I would speak with Suresh, figure out what your options are. Chances are, he's not even aware of your little side effect. You would be wise to enlighten him."

"Alright, I'll talk to Mohinder," she vowed.

"Good," sighed Adam, relieved that she was taking his advice to heart. "Now promise me that you'll tell West about all of this."

"I promise."

"Then I will take my leave. My work is done here."

"Wait!" Claire called after him, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He spun around expectantly, waiting for what she had to say. "Adam, I just wanted to thank you for warning me about this. I wish that I could repay you somehow." Adam could tell that she genuinely wanted to thank him, and he almost felt remorse for what he was about to do.

"You won't want to repay me when you find out what kind of a man I am," he said darkly. "No, I expect you'll come to hate me when tomorrow's news gets out."

"What do you mean?" Claire frowned at him. "You're not going to kill anyone, are you?" Adam held up his hands in protest of her accusation.

"All I can say in my defense is that I cannot achieve my vision for human civilization without help. And when working for the greater good, one sometimes has to ally themselves with those that are less than favorable. After all, one man alone cannot fight the future."

"I suppose I can't talk you out of it," said Claire. Adam chuckled at her naivety.

"No, I'm afraid not. My mind is rather made up."

"Will I ever see you again?" Claire wondered.

"Not for awhile," he admitted. "Perhaps someday, Claire. Good luck." And with those departing words, he left.

333

Claire returned home, wishing the time until she got to see West would pass quickly. She had so much to talk about with him! Her mind was still reeling from all that Adam had revealed to her. The lasting effect of rapid cellular regeneration on one's body over time was not something she'd ever considered, but in a way, it made sense. She briefly wondered if her father had known about the side effect, but decided that it didn't really matter. Claire still had the potential to remain exactly as she was forever. She wasn't so sure how she felt about that, or the fact that she had two distinctly different futures looming before her.

If it came down to her choosing between a normal life and saving the world, Claire didn't know how she could choose, or what her decision would be. But perhaps it wouldn't come to that. Perhaps she could have both.

After dinner, when West soared into view from the front porch, her heart leapt at the sight of him. As he pulled her in for a kiss, Claire thought about how much she relished her ability. Could she actually give it up to remain with him and her family?

Only time would tell.

333

The End

A/N: So how was it? This was my first Heroes shot, and I know that I could do better if I practiced. Be honest. And if you noticed something that was glaringly anti-canon, let me know. Thanks!


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